Abstract
Medical students using plastinated prosections as a sole learning tool perform equally well on identification exams as compared to those performing dissections over the same regions
The FASEB journal, Vol.24(S1), pp.176.5-176.5
04/2010
DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.176.5
Abstract
We sought to determine if small plastinated specimens would be sufficient to replace traditional dissection/prosection methods. A small group of pre‐M1 students (n=26) participated in labs and learned from dissection (D), or plastinated prosections (PP) of body regions/organs. Students who learned the heart from PP performed slightly better on the final identification exam than those who dissected the heart (67.0±6.2 PP vs. 60.3±8.6 D). The exam consisted of tags on both PP and non‐plastinated (NP) hearts. The difference between the groups was due to higher scores from PP students on NP heart tags (70.0±7.2 PP vs. 54.8±8.3 NP). Both groups performed equally on PP heart tags. Other control regions where both groups used the same learning modality had identical scores between groups. To assess differences in learning from PP vs. NP prosections, groups studied the axilla from PP or NP prosections. Students using PP slightly outperformed those learning from traditional NP prosections (51.1±7.9 PP vs. 43.0±6.8 NP). Interestingly, when asked to rank usefulness of the modalities (1–5 Likert scale), students ranked PP significantly lower than D or NP (3.36±0.4 PP vs. 4.36±0.2 NP and 4.46±0.4 D, p<0.05). Reasons ranged from physical properties of the stiffer plastinates to changes in engagement level. These data support use of PP in the medical‐level anatomy curriculum, but student response data indicate limitations.
Grant Funding Source: University of Iowa OCRME
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Medical students using plastinated prosections as a sole learning tool perform equally well on identification exams as compared to those performing dissections over the same regions
- Creators
- Darren S Hoffmann - University of IowaNikolas May - University of IowaTimothy Thomsen - University of IowaMegan Holec - University of Iowa Carver College of MedicineKathleen H Andersen - University of IowaMarc A Pizzimenti - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Abstract
- Publication Details
- The FASEB journal, Vol.24(S1), pp.176.5-176.5
- Publisher
- Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
- DOI
- 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.176.5
- ISSN
- 0892-6638
- eISSN
- 1530-6860
- Number of pages
- 1
- Grant note
- University of Iowa OCRME
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/2010
- Academic Unit
- Nursing; Health and Human Physiology; Anatomy and Cell Biology; Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine; Family Medicine; General Internal Medicine; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984288637702771
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